Censured Escapees
by nightshadow28
Summary: "Mr. and Mrs. Potter have been missing for nearly 3 months. No one has a clue of why nor when they'll be back...if they're ever back." Cannon pairings and irregular updates. A little AU, post-Hogwarts. You may want to read book 3 beforehand for better understanding of a few technicalities, but not necessarily.
1. Reassuring Letter

**Chapter 1- Reassuring Letter.**

12 Grimauld Place hadn't been cleaned up in months. In fact, it hadn't been inhabited for weeks. Mrs. Potter wasn't there to scold her sons, nor was Mr. Potter to listen to his daughter's cheerful chattering. All in all, it had always been a loud family, at least until past June, when the house was left unattended.

No one noticed the Potters didn't live there anymore, for the neighbors didn't even know such house existed. They assumed someone made a mistake when numbering the houses. There weren't even documents about number 12, so they had no reason to think otherwise. What they _did_ notice, however, was the lack of presence of a little family walking down the street. They were often seen wearing bright colors while talking about some children's fairy tales - which wasn't too strange either, as the family included three children.

For stranger or mysterious the whole issue may be, nobody went out of their own ways to think twice about it. And so, the Potters were forgotten in their own neighborhood.

A few miles away, three children slept soundly at their grandparent's home. The house was silent - as expected at three o'clock in the morning - but not everyone was asleep. A young man, no older than 22 years old, was staring at his hot chocolate filled mug. It had been almost three months since Mr. and Mrs. Potter had disappeared with no trace or explanation. It was odd. It was even odder that the Daily Prophet - or any other newspapers, for the matter - had let go the chance to talk about Mr. Potter, who was a very public figure. It'd be September 1st in a week and not even a letter from the Potters had reached them. He didn't want to admit it, but Teddy was getting really worried. Never before had his adoptive parents left for longer than an hour without telling where they'd be, along with a thousand directions to care for his younger siblings.

Teddy sighed. There wasn't a lot a newbie Auror could do about it, specially witho how awfully quiet the situation had been made - by who? Teddy didn't know.

He slowly stood up, mindful of his resting relatives. He had been so worried, he had barely touched his hot chocolate. He made his way towards the stairs, determined to try and sleep for a while, when he heard a really discrete sound; it was so that Teddy thought he had imagined it.

"Hoot, tu-whu, hoot" repeated the owl at the kitchen's window.

Teddy's first instinct was to rush to the owl and its possible letter. It could be mum and' dad's letter! But he stopped himself, it could be a trap or a letter to Grandma or Granddad, as he had learnt at the Auror Training. He drew out his wand and readied himself to whatever may be waiting for him in the room he had just exited. _Expect the unexpected, Ted. _said Dad in his head. _Expect it and prepare for it.__  
_

When he was finally inside the kitchen, all he saw was a small brownish owl, still hooting in a silent tone - probably trained to do so, thought Teddy. He chanted a few spells to the letter and found nothing out of the ordinary. Screwing his courage, while trying hard not to get his hopes up, Teddy took the letter. It didn't say for whom it was, so he opened it.

Teddy froze.

He had expected the unexpected, but nothing could have prepared him enough for this. He knew this half-messy, half-neat handwriting. Mom's handwriting.

_Our dear Children,_

_Please forgive the secrecy and our absence. All will be explained in time. Fear not, we're alive and fine. _

_I'm sorry this letter's so short, we have to move quickly. You can keep Mab (the owl)._

_ We love you and will see you soon._

_ Mom & Dad_

That night Teddy actually rested in his sleep for the first time in two months. He was unsure whether to tell anyone else about the letter or not. Well, that could wait for tomorrow.


	2. Homewards

**Chapter 2- Homewards**

Not even the smallest sun ray dared to touch such a place. It was a spooky looking cottage by the shore; tall grass surrounded it, lashing out alongside the cold wind. No one was to know it, but this was, currently, Harry Potter's hiding place.

Harry gave up trying to light the fireplace and sat on the floor with his back against the wall. He looked around, as he did every two minutes these days. Nothing had changed so far. The inside of the old cottage was still sad and so empty, Harry's breath seemed to produce an echo.

He let out a heavy breath and allowed himself to close his eyes. He wasn't sure how long it had been since he had been forced to leave his family to go on the run. To keep them safe, he had to remind himself.

The wind whistled louder and louder now. It wouldn't be long before a storm arrived.

Had Harry known what he was running from, from the beginning, he would have chosen another place to hide. They'd find him soon enough in there, but he couldn't bring himself to get up - in fact, he was finding it hard to gather the energy to open his eyes. Getting food while on the run was not an easy task. Of course, he knew how to hunt - he learned how with Ron, when they had gone looking for Horcruxes, but that's another story. The problem with hunting was the weather at the northern woods had been near to freezing, so he couldn't stand being outside for more than half an hour. He berated himself for not bringing a coat, or even a jumper. His muggle shirt and trousers, and his casual summer robes weren't protecting him an awful lot from the cold.

Besides hunger, tiredness and lack of warmth, Harry found himself having a pang of nostalgia. He desperately longed to go home, being received with Lily's soft, yet love filled hugs; having to break up an argument between James and Albus; convincing Teddy to come and have dinner with the family, and telling his wife how much he loved her with a passionate kiss. Lily was going to go Hogwarts for the first time this September - or she already went? He couldn't be sure. He liked to think there was still enough time to sort all this out and get back in time to see his kids off to school. However, there was always a chance he was already too late. He didn't even know _if_ he'd be able to sort this out. Only time could tell.

The sea could be heard rocking violently and the first lightning stroke nearby. Harry recalled vaguely a night like this, years and years ago. It had been when it was only Teddy and him. Teddy was three years old at the time; a loud storm had began somewhere near midnight. Soon enough, Teddy reached Harry's bedroom, asking to make the scary noise go away. Harry scooped him up to lay him next to him. The following hour was spend ignoring the thunders and listening to Teddy's parents's stories.

Harry shook his head. He really shouldn't lose himself in memories when danger could come anytime.

He opened his eyes instinctively as he heard a thudding sound nearby. There was sudden mist and he could see his own breath.

They knew he was in here.

The depressive atmosphere was making its way farther inside the cottage.

Thanking Merlin for adrenaline, Harry shot up to his feet. He backed away from the door, while retrieving his wand from his trousers' pocket. Feeling more and more like he wouldn't be cheerful again, he opened the window and jumped through it. He knew, from experience, it wasn't a good idea to appear from so close to Dementors - they had theirs ways to know where you went, otherwise.

Harry ran uphill, gaining distance between himself and a possible "kiss". Once he was sure he wouldn't be followed, he appeared away.

* * *

Harry nearly chocked on a gasp.

He wasn't supposed to be here of all places.

He forced his mind to remember the last thought he had when he appeared. The place he planned to go was the Forest of Dean, but then he wished to see his family again.

_Stupid_, he thought, _you've just endangered the very same thing you've tried to protect. Bloody brilliant!_

Although it was late afternoon, there were still quite a few people walking around Grimmauld Place. Not wanting to draw attention - like ripped cloth, messy beard and a stick in his hand would - he walked inside number 12 before someone noticed him.

Harry expected chattering in the living room, or cooking in the kitchen or just the fireplace roaring. But he wasn't expecting an empty and silent house. Too silent. He almost wished Mrs. Black's portrait was still around to scream at him. Almost.

Maybe they were visiting the Burrow, he reasoned. But, with a sinking heart, he realized there was a thick layer of dust everywhere and it smelled exactly like the first time he had been here.

Had they been captured? Had something horrible happened to them?

He couldn't exactly ask someone - it was better for everyone if he kept unseen. He was strongly inclined to go to Hermione for help. She always knew what to do.

There was no use searching the house. He would only alert Kreacher of his presence, and Kreacher, no doubt, would inform the Weasleys immediately. That wouldn't do.

So he climbed up the stairs, as quietly as he could manage, towards Sirius' bedroom. Sirius had died 24 years ago, but Harry could never get rid of anything in that room. It would always be Sirius' room. Kreacher never stepped in that particular room if he could avoid it, so it'd be perfect for Harry to sleep warmly for the first time in weeks, perhaps months.

Moments later, Harry rolled on the bed, attempting to lay comfortably without having Ginny to cuddle to. He relieved memories of the family he built until he fell asleep.

Even slumbering, Harry still regretted ever going to the Ministry that dreadful day.


	3. Realizations

**Chapter 3- Realizations**

The next morning Harry woke up feeling great. Never again would he doubt the value of a good mattress. He was so caught up in how refreshed he felt - no sore muscles! - that he forgot where he was or, rather, why he was there.

After the umpteenth stretch he gave his arms, absentmindedly he ruffled his hair with one hand and search for his day clothes with the other. It wasn't until a hooting from the open window made him properly aware of his surroundings. Harry realized three things; first, an owl had the Daily Prophet and was waiting to be paid; second, he was already dressed; and third, Ginny was nowhere in sight. He forced himself to slow his breathing as to gain focus on his hearing. Maybe she was taking a shower or cooking breakfast.

Silence. Too much silence. That wasn't normal at the Potter's household.

Harry was about to rush head-first out of the room, desperate to find his wife - precautions and auror protocol be damned. But no sooner had he touched the ancient knob, last weeks' events came back to him. The Minister's office... telling Ginny to go home... going on the run... the cottage by the beach... the Dementors... getting back here, to Grimmauld Place - to an empty house, he suddenly remembered. His heart sunk with dread. If something happened to his family - No, he couldn't think like that.

Then, he realized one more thing. He would have to choose between making sure the rest of the Potters were safe, and stopping the quickly advancing madman directing the Dementors.

Harry sat on the bed - his brilliant rest long forgotten. He'd have to handle this carefully.

* * *

Mrs. Potter wasn't a typical working mother and wife. At the moment she didn't look like one, either. Her hair was dirty and tangled, her clothes were ripped and resewed, her shoes' heels were missing - walking couldn't be very comfortable - and she had visible bags under her eyes. All in all, she looked like a wretch. But her looks weren't her concern.

Ginny Potter was waiting. Though patience was never her strong point, for the past weeks she hadn't had another option but to bide her time.

She waited behind a tree trunk for her husband to get out of the cottage's front door, like he did everyday to attempt hunting. Not in her most dramatic dreams would she have imagined herself in this position, spying on her husband so she could help him defeat a loony. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time a crazy man was after Harry Potter - and it probably wouldn't be the last, thought Ginny bitterly.

Ginny remembered that day at the Minister's office. Kingsley had floo-called Harry urgently, not giving any hint on what it was about. Ginny, for some reason she couldn't quite decipher, insisted in accompany him. She still wasn't sure if it turned out to be for best or for worst. Kingsley received them in his office. He seemed to doubt Ginny's presence, but didn't say anything about it. In fact, he wouldn't be saying many things.

"Harry, Ginny, we have a major problem like we haven't seen in a long time." They both understood he referred to Lord Voldemort by that. Kingsley proceeded to make a dramatic pause - or what they had thought was a dramatic pause. Later on, Ginny would see his silence as hesitation. The Minister opened his mouth once again, but no sound came out. Harry and Ginny shared a brief, worried glance. Kignsley tried speaking a few more times with the same result. He even tried writing and drawing, but his hand would twist strangely.

"It seems I can't tell you what's going on, but trust me when I say we're in _big _trouble." He spoke at last.

The Potters were both confused. Was the Minister in some kind of Fidelus Charm? Or had he made a magical oath?

Before any of them could react, there was a thud. Another followed. And another. Louder each time. Until -

"I WARNED YOU AGAINST TRYING TO TELL, _MINISTER._ NOW, YOU'LL PAY THE PRICE!" cried an off-putting, hoarsely voice.

Next thing they knew, something broke the wall open and darkness surrounded them. The Potters and Kingsley drew out their wands. They couldn't see a thing, thought there was a recognizable wave of cheerlessness washing over them.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" shouted the three at the same time.

The darkness was skimmed away by a stang, a lynx and a horse, all made out of light, letting the path free to see a tall, yet horribly thin man. His eyes were looking in all directions, almost like googly eyes. He had his wand pointed directly at Kingsley.

"Say goodbye, Minister." said the man.

They were three against one and yet, that one seemed to have the odds to his favor.

Ginny was brought back from her memories as she felt a cool breeze and dark figures came out of the tiny cottage. The Dementors were leaving. That could mean one out of two things; her husband was either soulless or had managed to flee. Ginny had to resist the urge to charge into the house and find out; the Dementors were still too close and she wasn't in the best of shapes - going on the run tends to that to people.

Slowly but surely, the Dementors flew away to the south. As soon as they were out of sight, Ginny ran into the cottage by the front door. Her speed was cut short once she was inside. Frightening visions of what might be awaiting plagued her. She forced her feet to keep advancing, however slowly - she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing.

She inspected every room expecting something awful. Every time she found nothing. The discovery made her relax. Had the Dementors caught him, they would've 'kissed' him and leave his body. Her relief only lasted half a second, for new worries began haunting her mind.

At that time, Ginny only knew she needed to find her husband. Only Merlin knew what he might do.


	4. Woes and Breakfast

**Edited 23-jul-2014**

* * *

**Chapter 4- Woes and Breakfast  
**

After coming up with seven different plans, all of which where, admittedly, worse than the last one, Harry was brought back from his plotting by the Daily Prophet's delivering owl. The small owl hooted in a demanding way. Not wanting Kreacher to come investigating, Harry made to take the newspaper, but the owl wouldn't allow until it was paid. The owl hooted again, louder this time. Harry pointed his wand, which he hadn't put away since his rough wakening, towards the door, hoping the spell wouldn't alert the house-elf.

"Accio Harry's moneybox," he muttered. It was annoying he had to state the owner every time he _accioed_ something in his own house. Nonetheless, if he didn't, five boxes would come flying his way. It hadn't been fun to discover. He had finished showering, when he realised he forgot to get his pants out of the chest. Ginny had just moved in and Harry didn't cast that one spell often, so he took his wand and said, "Accio underwear". Luckily, Ginny had taken Teddy to a playground, or she would have seen her embarrassed boyfriend putting her's and his godson's underpants in their respective chests. If Ginny noticed her knickers in the wrong place, she didn't mention it.

Harry opened slightly the door and easily caught his moneybox. Once he paid the bird, he went through the paper without expecting anything that'd help his cause. There was an article about Quidditch ("... The Mexican team had the game in their hands, they were practically touching the cup with their fingertips when one of Netherlands' beaters clearly provoked himself a mild injury, blaming it to the Mexican seeker. Apparently, that was enough distraction for Netherlands' seeker to quickly catch the snitch. An unfair win, said the fans..."), there was another article about gardening and a few interesting ones in the politics section.

After a while, Harry folded the newspaper. He was about to lay it on the bed, when he saw something he should have seen from the beginning.

_Monday, August 26th 2019_

So he was right. It had been months since he went on the run. On the bright side, he was still on time to take the kids to school. On the depressing side, he couldn't be spotted in public; the press wouldn't miss the chance to have his photograph taken - specially after months of disappearance - so this crazy leader of the Dementors would have it easy to find him, or his kids (if he knew he had them).

Somehow, being aware of the date, the time he lost, made him want to know what he had missed. He unfolded the paper again, reading every single article. He found many "inside" jokes about past events. Then, there was one article he had to read several times.

_Modest Restaurant Serves Cat meat as Beef._

_Diagon Alley, London.- Last Sunday, the Law Enforcement Department was anonymously informed of a restaurant within the famous alley, which decided the best way to save money was to change of supplier. Instead of the usual roast beef, they began serving cat meat. You read that right, cat meat._

The author went on and on about the unhealthiness and disgusting nature of it all. But the part he was interested in - though he made a mental note of the restaurant's name and of avoiding going there - was the first line of the last paragraph:

_This reporter is confident the Savior of the Wizarding world, Harry Potter, would have said, "Well, they cannot keep hidden the truth forever". I'd gladly invite Mr. Potter to discuss this affair over tea._

_-Amanda Davies._

Harry was sure he wouldn't say something like "can't keep the truth hidden" in that particular case, but it was clearly an invitation to get information on this madman after him - or he wished it was. Everything he had to do now, was find this reporter without being spotted - that was the hard part. The only place where he could find that kind of information was in the Ministry. He put his head in his hands and breathed out heavily. It seemed he'd have to break in the Ministry for a second time.

His stomach grumbled. He groaned thinking he'd have to try to hunt, until he remembered he was at home with a refrigerator filled with food. He'd have to be careful not to alert Kreacher, though; he'd rat him out to the rest of the family. He had delicious food at hands' reach, but he may risk the house-elf discovering him.

So near and yet so far! If only he had his invisibility cloak with him- oh, right, he was at home. It was still strange acknowledge he was there.

"Accio invisibility cloak".

Nothing.

"Accio invisibility cloak".

Again, nothing. Maybe Teddy borrowed it. He didn't put it past James to take it, either. If James took it, McGonagall would probably retiring very soon.

Harry's stomach complained again, painfully. He was no stranger to starvation - the Dursleys and both of his times on the run made sure of that. However, he had just passed complete days without anything but water from a river. With every second, he started convincing himself his hunger was worth the risk of running into Kreacher.

Slowly and looking for any sound, he walked down the stairs from the 4th floor to the ground floor. The kitchen was in the basement, as was a "dinning room" and the floo. Harry was tempted to use the floo - after eating - but he couldn't think of a single location where no one'd notice his entrance; surely the floo would be less traceable for Dementors. He was on the last step of the stairs to the basement, when he heard something crashing against the ground. Next, there were footsteps. Hurrying back up the creaky stairs was out of question. Not wanting to, but seeing no other option, he hid in the cupboard under the stairs. He was not scared, by any means. He was slightly uneasy, that's all. His uneasiness wasn't caused by the dark or the closed space - he had spent whole days in narrower spaces, given his job. The fact of it being the cupboard under the stairs unburied bad memories of his childhood. He didn't considered he had been abused, but for a small child, who only wanted to be wanted, that cupboard, where he slept for years, could turn into a symbol of all his mistakes, insecurities and fears.

The footsteps came closer... just like Uncle Vernon's footsteps when he came back from work. When they were lighter than usual, it meant Uncle Vernon was in a happy mood and would take the family out to dine. For Harry, it meant he wouldn't be allowed out nor have supper. Harry shook his head. It wasn't helping to think like that, especially with an empty stomach. He focused on the intruder. It was obviously not Ginny, her walking was lighter and faster; the kids would have make a whole lot more of noise; Teddy never came until Harry had practically begged him to have dinner with them at least twenty times; and nobody else he trusted would come if the house was empty.

The footsteps seemed to become hesitant. Harry put his ear against the cupboard door, as he had done in several occasions at Private Drive. He recalled being locked inside the cupboard for two days for doing accidental magic. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had been talking in the kitchen about what to do with him. Each time Uncle Vernon would propose sending Harry to an orphanage or abandon him in the middle of a forest, and each time, Harry was sure he meant it. The dressing-down Uncle Vernon gave him still ringed his eardrums. Against his consent, Harry's mind played before his eyes all the times he had been yelled at and manhandled by Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Above all, he relived the fear and dread he had felt. He could feel every cuff around the head, every hurtful insult thrown his way, every yank and every push- it was all becoming too much to take. He _needed_ out of the cupboard NOW.

His left hand moved to position itself, ready to push the door open. Yet, Harry willed himself to stay still. The intruder wasn't gone; if anything, he was closer.

_"BOY!... Come here you ungrateful brat!... WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN THIS HOUSE?!..."_

That was it. Intruder or no he couldn't possibly stand one more second in there. He'd knock down the intruder before he knew what hit him - bugger, he'd go twenty against one if that meant getting out of there.

Without a second thought, Harry jumped out of the cupboard.

Panting and, before looking up, Harry pointed his wand directly to the intruder, who quickly withdrew his own wand. It was a surprise when neither of them shot any hex. The other man gasped; Harry was sure he had his eyes wide. When he finally looked up, he found he was right.

In front of him, his right arm now resting against his side, with his wand nearly loose, stood Teddy Lupin looking truly dumbfounded. Harry himself was a heartbeat away from mirroring him. He stopped himself, tightening his grip on his wand.

"What did you tell me when you were four and poured pink hair-dye in my shampoo's bottle?" asked Harry in the most threatening tone he could manage.

If he thought Teddy looked dumbfounded when he first saw him, now he looked like his brain went on a holiday without him.

Harry cleared his throat, bringing Teddy back from whatever trance he might have been in. Teddy eyed him with bewilderment.

"T-That you were always saying that I-I was special, not weird, because of my...mmh...a-ability. So I thought we could be special together." stammered Teddy.

Harry let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding and allowed himself to relax. He set his back against the wall, closing his eyes. Teddy started approaching him.

"Shouldn't you be making sure I am whom you think I am, Ted?" said Harry, not harshly, but admonishingly. Teddy stopped walking.

"Isn't the fact that you're telling me that enough proof?" said Teddy cheekily.

Harry shot him the same glare that made him stop whining when he was much younger.

"Alright," said Teddy, putting his hands in the air exasperatedly. With a not-so-discrete eye roll, he questioned, "what did you bribe me with to help you look after the kids when Ginny had a game?"

"Butterbeer and a trip to honeyduke's" said Harry, straightening himself. "You shouldn't be so quick to lower your defenses".

Teddy ran to him and gave him a rib-cracking hug. Harry wrapped his arms around his adopted son with as much strength as he could muster - it wasn't a lot, considering his pitiful shape.

"You had us all worried." sniffed Teddy, pulling away. His eyes were wet. Harry knew he would never cry in front of anyone; not being able to fully contain his tears was a big indicator on how worried he had been. Not wanting his son to be embarrassed, Harry didn't bring it up. Just looking into the eyes of the young man, he felt a pang of guilt inside his chest.

Harry put a hand on Teddy's shoulder, hoping it'd provide a little comfort.

"I'm sorry, Teddy. I had no other option. I'm really sorry."

Teddy regained control over his unshed tears. His voice didn't even quiver when he spoke again, "where have you be-"

POP!

Both men drew their wands towards the stairs, where the sound came from - probably Kreacher. Teddy looked expectantly at Harry.

"Go. I'm sure it's just Kreacher. Tell him to go help in Hogwarts for the rest of the day. The less he knows, the better," whispered Harry.

Teddy climbed the stairs slowly. No doubt, he was thinking so many precautions were ridiculous. The only reason he played along, was because he knew Harry'd scold him otherwise.

Meanwhile Harry kept up his guard. He waited for another _pop_ and the creaking of the stairs. Once Teddy was again next to him, they moved to the cupboards taking a box of biscuits and putting water to boil. Waiting for the water, they sat at the table. Harry ate one of the biscuits. He could swear it tasted like heaven. His satisfaction must haven shown on his expression, as Teddy gave him a weird look.

"Dad...where have you been?" asked Teddy tentatively. "Mom said in your letter that-"

"Letter? What letter?" said Harry, nearly choking on his biscuit.

"The one you and Mom sent last night," answered Teddy with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, wait, wait. I haven't sent any letter. I haven't even seen Ginny since past June. Haven't she been with the kids? Do you know if they're alright? Anyone has-"

"DAD! Jam your hype! James, Al and Lily are fine. They're staying at the Burrow. Last night I couldn't sleep and an owl came with a letter. It didn't say for whom it was, so I opened it. It was Mom's handwriting. She wrote that you both were fine and everything'd be explain soon."

Harry relaxed visibly. He had a small frown he accompanied with a faraway gaze.

"So you don't know where your mother is," asked Harry. He looked calm, though in the inside he was panicking.

"No. We thought she was with you." said Teddy, catching up with what that statement implied. After a long silence, Teddy spoke, his voice sounded braver than he probably felt, "So, do you think the letter was actually Mom's? I checked for tracking spells and everything else I could thing of."

Harry considered this for a while. Could it really be this madman? Did he know he had children and where they were? If it was in fact Ginny who wrote that letter, where was she? Was she alright? The only thing he knew for sure, was that if it really was Ginny's letter, then she was somewhere out there, fighting off the Dementor's leader in every way she could. She had the soul of a warrior, after all.

"I hope it was from her, but we can't be sure. Have you shown it to someone else?"said Harry. It wouldn't be wise to burden Teddy with his worries.

"No, everyone else was asleep. I came here this early before Grandma got up. When I read the letter, I thought you both might be here... and I was right...sort of." said Teddy sheepishly.

"Ted," chastised Harry, "you shouldn't have come here unless you were entirely sure it was a letter from us".

"I know...but I was right!" defended Teddy.

"Ted". Harry's voice was stern.

"Sorry... so, what's the plan?" said Teddy, playing casual.

Harry gave him a questioning look. "That's none of your concern, Ted. You're to stay and look after your siblings," he said.

"But-"

"No, Teddy. This is serious. You don't know how dangerous this is."

Teddy was about to retort, but the kettle alerted them of the boiling water.

"The water's ready,"said Harry, before going to prepare the tea. He didn't notice Teddy flooing away, nor when he came back. And he wasn't alone.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Harry almost dropped the kettle to the ground. He knew that voice all too well. Molly and Arthur Weasley were coming out the fireplace, a few inches in front of Teddy, looking very unimpressed. The little bugger was smirking.

"You told on me? Seriously?!" said Harry to his smug son.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE?! WE WERE ABOUT TO CALL THE AURORS! WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT FOR MONTHS?! MONTHS?!" yelled Molly with all her might.

"It wasn't exactly optional," said Harry, before she had a chance to go on with her screaming. It didn't do much as she took air to re-start her scolding. Thankfully for Harry, the fireplace roared.

James, Albus and Lily Potter crashed down the floo. After watching their father standing in that room, they were up in a blink. Harry'd bet they had eavesdropped when Teddy told the Weasleys where he was, proceeded to fight over who'd travel first and ended up going at the same time. The three kids ran to the other side of the room, tackling their father with a hug in the process.

"I missed you, too, kids," laughed Harry.

"Where have you been?", "Why did you leave?", "Where's mom?", were the questions they chanted at the same time. They probably wondered it for the past months, realised Harry, sadly.

"Whoa, one at a time." If Harry wouldn't say too much to Teddy, a 21 year old auror, he would tell even less to his younger children. "Kids, I-I...," Harry suddenly became very aware of every eye in the room staring at him. He got up and sigh, "Remember what my job is, right?"

"You catch bad guys," said Lily helpfully. Harry smiled at her. For an eleven year old, she sure knew how to be adorable.

"Yes, well, this 'bad guy' arrived when we were at the Minister's office. He shot several curses. Kignsley fell unconscious and I led this man away from the Ministry. I've been trying to recollect any information on him that I can, but, I'm afraid it's taken longer than I thought".

No one uttered a word for a while, digesting the new information.

"Dad," said Albus, "where's mom?" Harry could practically taste the anxiety in his voice.

"I don't know, kiddo, but she I'm sure she's fine. This guy was looking for me, not her," said Harry.

Molly looked like she wanted to cry. Arthur's demeanor was depressed in one minute and determined the next. Harry was sure he'd want in in whatever plan he had.

"Look at the time. It's already 9 o'clock and we haven't had breakfast. Come on, kids, I'll need all the help I can get," announced Molly.

James and Albus groaned. Even Lily looked a bit upset - she normally loved cooking with her grandmother.

"But, Grandma, we just got Dad back," whined James.

"And he'll still be here when we are done cooking," Molly turned to Harry, "right?" It wasn't a question, it was an unspoken threat.

"Of course I will."

Molly ushered the kids to the stove and cupboards. From the corner of his eyes, Harry could see her shaking her head at the muggle refrigerator. She probably thought they were inciting her husband's obsession.

Arthur, Teddy and Harry climbed the stairs to the ground floor and placed a silencing charm.

"How bad it really is?" asked Teddy as soon as the charm was done.

"Is not really that bad."

"Dad, you don't have to sugar-coat it. I'm not a little kid anymore," said Teddy with a hint of annoyance.

"Sorry, I forget sometimes." Harry coughed, preparing to give a long speech, "that day at the Ministry, Kingsley tried to tell us what was wrong - he usually doesn't request me personally. He couldn't tell us anything about it. It was like he was in a sort of fidelus charm; he tried to speak but he didn't make a sound; he attempted writing, but his hand went bunkers and refused to cooperate. Then the wall exploded and this man, 'Dux Vesania' he called himself, came in with tens of Dementors." Arthur went pale, knowing from experience what an encounter with the foul creatures meant. "He told Kingsley he'd pay for trying to tell us, or something like that. He shot a spell at him, but I blocked it with an expelliarmus. It rebounded on him and his face began to bleed. He swore revenge against me. I told Ginny to go home - which she didn't do." The three shared a contemplative look, knowing they could only hope that reckless woman was safe and sound. Harry continued, "I led Dux out of the Ministry, through the hole in the wall he made-"

"And no one noticed?!" cried Teddy. His indignation was justified. Many persons turned to stare, not interfering. If they had helped, they could have end all of this before it started.

"I'm not sure," lied Harry, "I was busier running from the Dementors. When I was barely out, I appeared, but some of the Dementors reached me. I did get to my destination, an abandoned house in Little Whinging, but I, er... kind of... splinched."

Arthur and Teddy gasped. Their eyes searched for any missing limb, relaxing when they found none.

"It was really mild, not as bad as when it happened to Ron." He lifted the left side of his torn shirt, just above his hip. Many scars rounding his side adorned his pale skin. Upon seeing this, Arthur frowns and Teddy looks sick. "Turns out Dementors can side-appear, too. A pair tagged along. I cast my patronus and then fainted. I've been on the run since. I've had a few more encounters with _Dux," _he spat the word, "but haven't gathered too much of him or how he's controlling the Dementors."

"Whatever your plan is, I'm in," said Teddy.

"Teddy-" warned Harry.

"Me too," interrupted Arthur.

"Look, I appreciate it, but-"

"Grandma says breakfast's ready," yelled Albus, running up the stairs. Arthur took down the silencing spell and headed to the basement dinning room, Teddy following him. They must have thought if they didn't hear him say "no", they were automatically part of the plan.

Albus waited for the two men go out of hearing range, to go hug his father.

"I missed you," he admitted.

"I know. I'm sorry." Harry patted his back comfortingly. "Al, there's something I need you to do, alright?"

Al nodded and looked up.

"This situation is a bit more dangerous than the other criminals I usually catch," Albus' eyes widened with slight fear. "This man is dangerous, but I'm confident he wouldn't go near Hogwarts. Even so, I need you to make sure both your siblings are in the common room by curfew, if they're not, please tell your Head of House." Albus seemed hesitant. "This is not about getting them in trouble; this man isn't sane and I need to know you three are safe. It shouldn't be too difficult with the map - yes, I know you have it. Also, when you and James visit Hogsmeade, return to the castle if you sense a Dementor, you remember the signs, right?"

"Yes, it is suddenly very dark and cold, and you feel like you're never going to be cheerful again. Does this man really uses Dementors?" asked Albus sounding distraught.

"He might. The map has a few secret entrances to the castle you can use if he does." Harry's eyes softened, "I know it's not fair and you'd like to go through this year without this kind of worries, but I promise you by next year I'll sort this out and you'll have a peaceful year... and I won't mention the map to anyone. Still, don't go to the forest, is forbidden for a reason, you know?... And there's a chance I'll lend you the invisibility cloak next year..."

Albus's eyes lit up more and more with each promise.

"Really?! Thank you!" He was practically bouncing with every word. He gave his father another hug and ran downstairs.

Harry trailed behind him, enjoying his children as much as he could before he'd have to go on the run again - he knew he'd have to, eventually.

The large table was half full. There was a lot of chatting, laughter and food, not unlike the first time he had been here. He smiled nostalgically from the threshold. James spotted him soon. "Dad, is it true you fought off a dragon three weeks ago? and that you rode an hippogriff all the way from London to Scotland?"he asked excitedly.

"No, sorry, just scared away a few Dementors and gnomes. Once I found a crup," he replied nonchalantly.

"Wow," awed James and Lily. Albus expected it after their talk.

"Harry, dear, sit down, the food's getting cold and you look like a bag of bones," hurried Molly.

Harry did so, while Lily looked intently at him, trying to figure something out. "You look like a scrounger," she said as a matter of fact.

Everyone chuckled and some spit out their drinks.

"Where did you even hear that word?" laughed Harry.

"Percy and Audrey visited last week," explained Arthur.

"Oh."

Indeed, Harry looked like a scrounger. His robes were teared, he hadn't shaved nor combed his hair in weeks, not to mention he had lost considerable weight. And even so, he couldn't care less. He was finally home, surrounded by people he loved. For that while everything'd be fine.

The rest of the meal was one of the best Harry ever had - one he'd make sure to treasure for the rest of his life. The laughter and good mood didn't die. Although, Harry was debating on whether it was a good idea to stay there - it'd be like a dream come true after months of solitude. Still, it could be a high risk, but he wasn't completely positive on that.

Well, whatever life may throw his way, if it meant these wonderful people would be safe, he'd take and overcome.

* * *

**A.N.**

**There, 4,000 words! Man, I was inspired. If you're a writer, here's what I found out to help writing longer chapter - it may have been discovered before by someone else.**

**- scribble down the main aspects of what happens in the chapter, before actually begin to write. **

**-Repeat the scene(s) several times in your mind - also, before writing. Think on the details, the character's feelings, whatever the reader needs to know to create the illusion of actually contemplate what you're telling him. **

**-Take your time writing each part. There's no hurry, meanwhile you actually finish it.**

**I may not have applied all of the above advice, but give me a break, I'm practically starting my 'career' as a writer.**

**Dear Guest, who took the time to review: That was the idea ;) and thank you.  
Happy weekend.**


	5. Encounters in the Ministry

**Chapter 5- Encounters in the Ministry.**

Harry had the nicest meal he had had in a long time. It was nothing particularly extravagant. He ate a few pancakes, sausages, a piece of bread with jam and a coffee. His hunger had been satisfied at last.

But it wasn't only the delicious food that made this an enjoyable meal. Harry had the quality time with his family that had been denied to him for so long. James, like always, amused everyone with jokes and witty remarks, which earned him a few stern glances from Molly. Albus preferred to observe and listen, intervening with his own wit every once in a while. Lily would ask and ask and ask about everything she could think of; her brothers' groans and teasing could never shy her away. Teddy delighted the family with his latest missions as an auror, making Harry and Molly pale when he got to the dangerous parts. Harry hadn't agreed to Teddy signing up to the Auror Training Program, in the first place; having gone through it, he knew exactly what Teddy was in for. His worries were brushed aside by his godson, who came back home with new scars every week for the first three months of training.

For a moment, the world was well.

And then that moment was gone.

"Are you going to take us to King Cross?" asked Lily, suddenly.

That was one of the hardest question Harry had been presented with. Harder than when Teddy wanted to know where babies came from when he was eight; harder than when Ginny and Ron had an argument and they both asked him which side he was on; even harder than when Kingsley offered him the Head of the Auror Office post - he hadn't feel qualified enough back then.

The cheerful atmosphere from a second ago was gone. They all knew it and were constantly looking from Lily to Harry, dreading the answer as much as they wanted to know it. It was obvious to Harry they had been sick with worry all along and didn't want him to go or say goodbye sooner than needed.

"Dear, your father is not in the best position to...," Molly tried to sooth Lily "you'll see, there's a...there's a-"

"It's all right," said Harry to his mother-in-law, before addressing to his daughter, "I will find a way to go, don't worry".

Lily smiled contently. James and Albus were trying to hide it, but they, too, looked pleased. Teddy seemed confused, probably assuming Harry had something up his sleeve. Molly and Arthur, on the other hand, were sending him disapproving stares. He could practically read the threats written it their eyes, "you better don't make promises you can't keep".

Technically it wasn't a lie. He'd find a way to be there.

Molly clapped her hands together and put on a jolly face.

"Well, now that's taken care of, who wants more pancakes?" she said.

The family ended up staying at the Burrow after breakfast. The kids kept the same rooms they used the past weeks. James and Albus shared Fred and George's old room, Lily stayed at Ginny's, Teddy at Percy's and Harry had Bill's. As soon as they got there, Arthur, Teddy and Harry began placing protective charms around the property. Anyone who wanted to enter the house, including the rest of the family, would need permission from Molly, Arthur, Teddy, Harry or James - James being only in case of emergencies. Those spells would give Harry time to hide in Arthur's garage. It was hard denying the rest of the Weasleys an explination for the Potter's disappearance, not mentioning the big family gatherings Molly loved, but it was safer this way for everyone.

The next two days were somewhat of a routine.

To Molly's surprise, everyone, including the kids, were up early in the morning. Harry supposed they were scared they'd wake up and not find him. Teddy and Arthur would go to work at the Ministry and the rest would either clean up or find another way to entertain themselves.

Arthur as the Head of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, could not possibly gather much information on Dux, though he tried. Teddy, however, was in more contact with the criminal records. They both had question everyone they could on any prison escapee, trying to be inconspicuous. No one told them a thing about it, though their eyes widened with surprise when they asked. They seemed to fear someone would attack them if they opened their mouths.

Harry told them it wasn't necessary for them to investigate, he'd do it himself - he had yet to tell them about the article in the Daily Prophet. They insisted it wasn't a problem. Harry knew they, just like the kids, wanted him to stay where he is safe. The problem was he _couldn't_ stay. He'd look through the window every chance he got, he'd stay up late looking for any suspicious sound or movement, and planed his next move. He tried hard to relax, but with Dux on the loose, who knew what might happen. Besides, he grew more and more worried for Ginny with each passing day.

On the third day, Harry took action.

Before the sun came up, he stood in the hallway holding his wand and muttered, "Accion invisibility cloak".

Out of Percy's old bedroom came flying his cloak. Hopefully Teddy wouldn't notice. He put the cloak on and went downstairs. He was tempted to go right then and there when he passed the fireplace, but he understood he needed a good plan. It was time to demonstrate why the sorting hat nearly put him in Slytherin.

Once in the kitchen, he took out the bottle of pumpkin juice and poured half of it in the sink.

It was a silly plan, more fitting for a ten year old to come up with, rather than the thirty-six year old Head Auror he was. If Ron knew, he'd never let him live it down.

In the morning, after Arthur and Teddy went to work, Molly got a floo-call. Harry ate breakfast with the kids once again, who woke up an hour later than the days before - a bit more confident their father'd be there in the morning. This situation was so foreign. If someone looked from the outside, he'd be unable to tell there was a madman out there.

Molly entered the kitchen hurriedly, placing some food inside several recipients.

"Bill called. Fleur is very sick. I'll go make her some soup," she said, taking some carrots. She suddenly looked very uncomfortable with the idea of leaving. Harry knew it wasn't the fact that it was Fleur - they had learn to get along years ago. So Harry thought Molly and her husband had talked about him, more likely, how to make him stay safe.

With she gone, it'd be easier for Harry to go.

Molly assured him over and over again she'd be back _very_ soon. When she finally left, James and Albus were arguing.

"No, it wasn't me. You served yourself a huge glass of juice-" said James, loudly.

"But not as huge as yours!" defended Albus.

"That's not true, you-"

"What's going on in here?" asked Harry in a neutral tone. Internally, he was smirking.

"James drank all of the juice," said Albus.

"That's not true! It was Albus!" responded James.

"Alright, alright," said Harry loudly, putting his hands in the air to calm them down, "I'll go bring more pumpkin juice, how does that sound?"

Up until now the too-simple plan was working as expected. Now he only would have to assure the boys he'll be back soon.

Both boys shut up and looked worriedly at one another. _So they had talked about making me stay, too, eh? _thought Harry. Well, too bad. Harry had already made up his mind and there was no changing it.

"No, it's ok, dad," said Albus.

"Yeah, we'll have milk," added James.

Lily, who had been in the loo, entered the kitchen.

"'Morning," she said sleepily.

Harry quickly spotted his opportunity for escape. James and Albus knew it, too, as they exchanged worried looks. Apparently they didn't include her in their plan of making Harry stay. Interesting.

"Good morning, honey," greeted Harry, "want some pumpkin juice?"

James and Albus made wild gestures of "no", but Lily wasn't awake enough to notice. She nodded, rubbing her eyes. The boys groaned and hung their heads.

"Alright, then I'll go and bring some. Stay inside the house and floo to Bill's if there's trouble," declared Harry, heading for the door.

"No, dad, wait-" called Albus, alarmed

"You can't go! We just got you back!" yelped James, running to catch up with his father.

"Whoa, don't worry. It'll be fine. I'll just go, buy some juice and come back," reassured Harry.

Albus frowned with incredulity. James's eyes jumped repeatedly from Harry to the fireplace.

"It'll be fine," said Harry as he closed the front door behind him.

He walked a few feet away from the house, put on the invisibility cloak and apparated to London.

Unseen to everybody else, Harry stood inside of the telephone booth leading to the Ministry of Magic. It was funny how he felt like when he, Ron and Hermione broke into it at seventeen, regardless of the countless times he had gone through that very same entrance to go work.

The 'elevator' stopped descending at the 8th level of the Ministry. It was as crowded as ever. It was hard to move quickly while trying not to collide with anyone. Even with all his focus on not being noticed, a few people stepped on him - luckily they where in a hurry and didn't look back.

Finally on the 2nd level, where the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was located, Harry turned right twice. Over the past fifteen years a sub-department in the DMLE was created, the Press Regulation Department. Harry suspected it was Hermione's doing, but she would never tell.

As the sub-department was rather new and not requiring of too much security measures (compared with other departments), it was fairly easy for Harry to just walk in the designed area. Next there was a hallway leading to three doors: the Information Verification office, the Regulation and Censoring Department, and the Directives and Reporters Records Stock.

Harry went through the third door, directly to the records. It seemed too easy to be true.

And it certainly was.

The Stock was huge, at least three yards long and seven feet wide, all filled with bureaus. Each bureau had six drawers, and each drawer had countless papers on the press members. It'd take days just to open all the drawers, let alone go through every paper.

Not wanting to waste another second, Harry began to search the bureaus on the right. The papers weren't on alphabetic order, they were divided in positions, the newspaper the person worked at and when they were hired.

Harry soon discovered the Daily Prophet's section was the middle of the room and the wall opposite to the door.

The cloak didn't help his speed. It kept sliding off and it was hot inside the stock. Harry closed the door and took off the cloak. It couldn't do too much harm to do so; it appeared the room was rarely entered.

After half an hour, he still didn't find anything on Amanda Davies. The infuriating thing was he went through barely a quarter of the first drawer of the first bureau on the Daily Prophet. Harry had half his mind to rip the next folder on his hand. He readied his hands to do so, when he read whose file it was.

_Name: Rita Skeeter._

_Gender: Female._

_Blood status: Pure Blood._

_Date of Birth: May 15th, 1951_

_Newspaper: The Daily Prophet._

_Position: Main Journalist._

_Hired on: October 22nd, 1969_

Who would have thought he'd come across Rita Skeeter's file? It didn't mention anything on being an animagus. Better yet, the paper said she had a short romance with a presumed Death Eater and a hearing at nineteen years old for snooping in the trash cans of a famous singer at the time.

Harry wouldn't use this information as revenge for all the lies she spread when he was a teenager. But, he _would_ use it if she started filling articles about his children.

"You shouldn't take off your cloak in here. Someone could walk in in any moment," said a shrill voice from the threshold, closing the door.

Harry cursed himself. He had been so engrossed reading Rita's file, he didn't hear anyone coming. He turned around slowly, knowing he had been discovered. The shrill voice belonged to a 40-ish, blond, tall woman dressed elegant enough to be the secretary of an important directive. Harry had seen the woman once or twice in the 8th level; as far as he could tell, she had no reason to be in the stock.

Harry neared his hand to the pocket that held his wand.

"I hoped you'd recognize me," sighed the woman. She didn't bother to take out her own wand.

"Should I?" asked Harry, his hand grasping his wand.

"Well, I'd expect yes, we've been married for over fifteen years."

The woman leaned causally against the closed door with a raised eyebrow.

Harry lost his grip on his wand for a moment. His eye widened without his consent.

"Ginny?" he exclaimed.

'Ginny' merely smirked.

"Such a great detective, " she said.

Harry narrowed his eyes, drew out his wand, pointed it at her heart and said, "prove it."

"When James was born, we were so tired, we had discussions about incoherent things, like why the cheese had holes and why the colour of socks we wore wasn't green; you told me you slept in a cupboard under the stairs for nearly ten years; and my knickers mysteriously appeared in the wrong drawer once I took Teddy to the playground. Enough?"

Harry pocketed his wand, wearing a slight blush. Of course she'd remember about the knickers.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" he asked, stepping closer to her. "Where did you get Polyjuice?"

"Hermione gave me some."

That raised many other questions, but Harry ignored it for the time being. He wanted to hug and kiss his wife as soon as he was sure she was Ginny, but it felt wrong with her looking like someone else. Either way, when the distance between each other was gone, Ginny encased him in a love-filled embrace.

"What are you doing here?" repeated Harry, taking in her scent. She looked like an upright woman, yet, she still owned that unique scent of hers.

"Was looking for information on Dementors when I saw a couple of feet without body heading this way," she said. Harry could tell she smiled mischievously as her head rested on his shoulder. "If you had stayed a midget I wouldn't have find you."

Harry snorted. She was truly George's sister.

For a while they stood there, holding onto one another, afraid of the other being taken away. They had so many questions, but those could wait. Harry pulled back, just enough to look into Ginny's - temporally- blue orbs. He leaned in and sealed their lips together. Lost in their passion, they hardly noticed Ginny's height returning to normal, her features changing to the freckled redhead Harry was used to.

When their need to breath made them pull apart, Ginny giggled.

"Just like in Lily's story books, a love kiss turned me back to my true form," she explained.

Harry grinned. He was about to suggest they continued to search the files, when screams of terror were heard.

Harry took the cloak and covered Ginny with it.

"I'll go investigate," he said.

Before he reached the door, Ginny said, "no way! Like it or not I'm coming with you."

"Ginny, this is serious. You don't know what this man, Dux, can do. Please stay safe."

Harry felt an invisible hand on his forearm.

"I'm not sitting here, waiting while you go and get yourself hurt, you hear?" argued Ginny, pursing her lips.

Harry would have argued back, but the sound of panic outside of the stock stopped him.

"Fine, but keep the cloak on," said Harry, charging out of the Press Regulation Department. He forced himself to listen to Ginny's footsteps as the sound of panicked running and screams grew louder. There was no doubt in his mind it was Dux's doing.

Once out of the Department, a sight of hundreds of Dementors met them. Aurors tried to chase them away, but they were too many; everybody else ran to the fireplaces and the elevator. Curiously, only men were attacked - the twenty-something laying on the floor were proof of it.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"yelled Harry, his wand pointed to the foul creatures.

A light in the form of a stag came out of his wand. The Dementors flew away as the stag got dangerously close to them.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Ginny's patronus, a horse, accompanied the stag.

"Stupefy!" cried a raspy voice from behind Harry knew.

The spell hit Harry square on the back, sending him to the floor, wand lost and patronus interrupted.

Trying to get up, Harry was aware of the clicking of a camera. _Brave and stupid soul, _thought Harry, falling to the ground again._  
_

"Bombard- "

"_Fuge Murcilago!"_ cried Ginny, just in time to prevent Dux from blowing up the floor next to Harry. Dux suffered the Bat-Bogey Hex long enough for Harry to regain his strength to get up and reach for his wand.

"_Cave Inimicum!" _yelled Harry, chanting a kind of shiled around himself and Ginny.

Ginny stopped the Bat-Bogey Hex. Dux immediately tried to break the 'shield'. Harry took Ginny's hand and led her to a fireplace.

"Go to your parent's. I'll meet you there in a moment," he said. "James, Al and Lily are in there." He hoped the prospect of seeing their kids would convince her to leave.

Dux's attacks stopped suddenly.

"Go, I'll be alright. I promise," hurried Harry.

Ginny nodded and stepped into the fireplace.

Dux threw one more _Confrigo _to the 'shield', breaking it. Harry had his wand ready.

"_Impedimenta_!" he shouted.

Dux was blasted to the wall. The Dementors were quickly circling them. The man of the camera lost his courage and ran for the elevator. Harry didn't blame him, there were quite a lot of Dementors.

Harry concentrated in the breakfast he had a few days ago at Grimmauld Place. A small smile crept to his face.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The stag reappeared in all his glory, brighter than the last time. It pursued the Dementors away with unbelievable ease. As if they were bees moving out of their beehive, the Dementors exited the Ministry, taking an unconscious Dux along.

Even after the last Dementor was gone, Harry left his patronus active for a couple of minutes more. The Department was now empty, except for the men that were attacked laying on the floor. It was funny how all of the victims looked alike. They were either bearded redheads or had brown hair and a pointy nose. Funny coincidence or Dux was looking for an specific person? He'd think of it later; Ginny and the kids - and possibly Mrs. Weasley - were expecting him back.

Harry walked to the same fireplace his wife used; he took floo powder with his left hand, keeping his wand ready with the right. He was quick about it, not wanting to be seen if someone came to investigate or the men on the floor woke up.

"The Burrow!" he shouted as he threw the floo powder. Prior the feeling of being sucked down a giant drain, Harry hoped Ginny'd be sufficient distraction to make the kids forget about the pumpkin juice he was supposed to bring._  
_


End file.
